


Sanctuary

by WinterPhantom



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avenger Bucky Barnes, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Experimentation, Implied/Referenced Torture, Mutant Reader, Protective Bucky Barnes, Reader-Insert, References to Bucky's Past, Rescue, Telekinesis, Telepathy, nothing graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-08
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-05-03 19:43:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14576265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterPhantom/pseuds/WinterPhantom
Summary: Tumblr request: hi! can you please write a fic where Bucky stumbles upon a girl who’s been experimented on (like eleven from stranger things) and he feels inclined to protect her? Thanks





	Sanctuary

You wake to the sound of crashing and yelling.

You bolt upright in your small bed in the corner of the cell, still enveloped by darkness. Without being able to see the commotion, you have no idea what’s going on. And you’re trapped in your cell with nowhere to go.

You wait, listening as closely as you can, for a time that could be seconds, minutes, or hours – you can’t tell anymore. Finally, the noise dies down. There’s nothing left but agonizing silence. You pull the blanket up closer to your face and shrink back further into the corner.

Something heavy hits the door. You jump. Someone’s yelling something, and it’s a voice you don’t recognize. You can’t pick out the words through the door and the pounding in your head. 

The banging gets louder. The door crashes to the floor, ripped from its hinges by whatever’s on the other side. You concentrate, and the lights in the room flicker on so that you can see.

The figure steps into the cell. It’s a man. He’s tall, wearing some kind of gear, different from anything you’ve ever seen before. It’s dark, but something at his side is reflecting the harsh light – glinting. _Does he have… a metal arm?_

Your eyes travel back up to his face. The bottom half is covered with some kind of mask, and his dark hair falls messily, framing it. You lock eyes; his are bright and blue. You almost scream, but your voice falters and it dies in your throat.

He mutters something, but not to you. 

“Uh oh… Steve, you better get over here,” you hear him say. His eyes never leave your cowering form.

In a panic, you reach out with your mind, grasping the broken door. You fling it towards him.

He’s quick. His eyes go wide, breaking from your own. He raises the glinting arm… catching the door with _one hand._ You weren’t expecting that.

The door clatters to the floor. You feel fear coursing through your veins, and you struggle to think of your next move. _What did he want?_

“Hey,” he starts, this time directing the words to you. He rips the mask from his face with one hand, before raising them both. He looks nothing like the scientists you were used to.

“I’m not going to hurt you, okay?” His voice is soft, soothing. You like the sound, but you don’t trust him.

_Stay back,_ you say, only you don’t say it out loud. You project it to him mentally, and judging by his reaction, he hears you. His eyes narrow and his head tilts ever so slightly.

“Did you just-”

_Please, I-I mean it. Stay away._ You raise a hand in defense, using it to channel your abilities, picking up the door again, hovering it just over the ground.

He glances towards it, still visibly perplexed, then back to you.

“I’m here to help you,” he affirms gently. You swallow, and he takes a tentative step forward. You start to raise the door again. He stumbles away from it, and starts speaking again before you can throw it at him.

“Wait! Please. I want to get you out of here. Let me help you,” he pleads. You pause, letting the door fall back down.

_Help? Why?_ You flinch when he steps towards you again.

He studies you with his intense gaze for a moment.

“These people… I know what it must have been like. What they must have put you through. I-” his voice breaks, “I’ve been there too.”

He swallows. You hold his stare, and you don’t sense any kind of deception in him. 

_You can really get me out of here?_

For a moment, you allow yourself to hope. You never dreamt that this day would come. 

He nods.

“I’ll take you somewhere safe. Please, come with me,” he answers, and slowly extends a hand – the one that _isn’t_ shiny – towards you. 

You mull over your options for a few moments. _Fight, go with him, or… stay here?_ You exhale. What did you have to lose? Deciding to trust the stranger, you unfold your tangled limbs and cautiously take his hand. 

When your skin meets his, something shifts and the world goes black for just a second.

Then, a series of incomprehensible images explode in your mind, flooding your senses.

_Loud. Guns. A table, strapped down to it. Suffocating. Another man, pale hair, blue eyes. Explosions, fire. A train car. Falling. Fear. Pain. A machine, you’re trapped. A burning in your shoulder. Confusion. Anger. Cold, so cold. A restless sleep. Screeching tires, bodies. The same blue-eyed man again, only sadder. “Bucky?” Blood. Water. Memories, so many memories, you can’t escape-_

You break free, gasping from the agony. You meet the man’s eyes again, and they’re wide… wild. And you understand. You feel his anguish, his fear. He _was_ just like you.

“Buck-” you hear someone call, footsteps coming to an abrupt halt as the man pauses in the doorway. The man from his memories. 

_“Oh god,”_ he gasps.

The first man – _Bucky?_ – turns back to look at him, and then to you. You study them both, glancing between the two. 

“This is Steve. He’s going to help us get out of here, okay?”

Two sets of blue eyes watch you, waiting for a response.

You nod.

-

You follow behind them closely – escaping the facility where you had lived for many years; the only home that you could remember. Machines are broken, computers smashed, unconscious bodies across the floor. 

You won’t miss any of it.

The two men lead you outside. It’s dark, so it must be late. Still, you inhale deeply, the fresh air filling your lungs. You had no idea when the last time you’d been outside was. You didn’t remember. You pause, looking up at the sky, the stars, the moon. It was beautiful.

You notice the first man, who you’re presuming is named Bucky, has stopped too. You can feel him watching you. 

You turn and start moving again. He does too.

-

They lead you towards some kind of… _aircraft? Ship? Vehicle?_ Whatever it is, it’s huge. You follow them inside, where you find an assembly of people waiting. You’re escorted by the two men to a seat at the side of the vehicle you’re in, while the rest of the people watch you intently. Steve goes over to talk with one of them – the other stays at your side.

_Bucky? Is that your name?_ You project, glancing up at him. His blue eyes widen; you must have startled him again. 

“Yes,” he whispers in response. “What’s yours?”

_…I don’t know,_ you answer after a pause.

His brows knit in confusion as he studies you.

_They never gave me one,_ you explain.

A mixture of emotions flash across his pale eyes; _comprehension, pity, compassion, empathy._

He nods sadly. The man Steve was just talking to approaches you, and you swear Bucky tenses. He glances at you, then to Bucky.

“We didn’t find any other… _subjects,_ ” the man says to Bucky as his eyes slide over to you briefly. “We have intel that these scumbags might have another facility. We just need to find out where.”

Bucky nods again, curtly. The man sets his gaze on you. He’s shorter than Bucky, with dark hair and dark eyes. He looks older than him, too. 

“Hey kid, my name is Tony Stark, and these are the Avengers. We’re going to take you somewhere safe, but you gotta help us out. Can you do that?” he asks you, leaning closer. He doesn’t seem malicious, so after glancing quizzically at Bucky, who is attentively watching your interaction, you nod hesitantly.

“These people, do you know if they have another location, did they ever take you anywhere else?” he continues.

You shake your head. They’d never moved you, and you’d never heard anyone talk about anywhere else.

“Were there any other people… like you there? Did you ever see one of them?”

You shake your head again. He continues to ask you questions, to which you continue to shake your head – you were as much in the dark as they were. Tony’s eyes narrow; he seems frustrated with your lack of knowledge. At this point, you are too. This interrogation is beginning to make you panic. 

“Do you know _anything_ that could help us?” 

You open your mouth to speak, although you aren’t sure what you would even say. You _don’t_ know anything. Your voice fails you from lack of use, and no words come out. Tony continues to stare at you expectantly. Your eyes meet Bucky’s, which appear concerned as he observes you.

_I don’t know, Bucky, I don’t know,_ you project to him, unsure of what else to do. 

“She doesn’t know,” Bucky states gruffly, quickly stepping in between you and Tony, who at this point knits his eyebrows and glances between you and Bucky, his confusion evident. 

“What do you _mean,_ she doesn’t know? How is that even-” he starts.

“Back off, Stark,” Bucky basically growls, venom coating his words. “She doesn’t know anything, and she’s been through a lot, okay?” He takes a step towards the smaller man, gazing down at him menacingly. 

“Woah, cool it, Frostbite,” Tony retorts, taking a step backwards. He glances at you again, and sighs. “I’m just trying to figure this out. I’ll see if we’ve got any updates on other potential locations.” He turns and begins to walk away, while Bucky’s posture relaxes. Tony turns towards Steve, who has been observing everything from afar.

“Rogers, please keep your sidekick in check. I don’t need him ripping anyone’s head off today, _especially_ not mine,” Tony says to him before making his way to the front of whatever it is that you’re on. 

Steve just looks at Bucky, his expression unreadable. Bucky meets his gaze, and holds it for a moment, before shaking his head gently and turning back towards you.

Your eyes meet.

_Is everything okay?_ You project to him. He makes his way towards you, and takes a seat nearby. 

“Yeah. Everything’s gonna be fine. Just relax,” he replies quietly, although you’re not sure if he’s saying it more to you, or to himself.

You pull your knees up to your chest and wrap your arms around your legs. The… _aircraft,_ you guess, takes off.

-

The _Quinjet,_ as you’d been told it was, takes you to what they call the Avengers Facility. Tony hadn’t said anything else to you on the trip, and Bucky stayed by your side, answering a few of your questions. You’d caught Steve looking at the two of you a few times, but no one had said much at all.

When you land, Steve finally approaches you. He smiles at you politely.

“I’ll show you to a room where you can stay until we figure all of this out,” he offers. You nod, and try to return his smile. Steve was nice. And from what you’d gathered, he was close with Bucky, and you trusted his judgement. Even if you’d only known him for a few hours.

You stand, stretching your legs. Bucky rises as well, standing next to you. When you start following Steve, Bucky stays nearby, walking just a step behind. They lead you into the compound, and throughout a series of hallways. The facility was massive – much bigger than the lab you’d come from. Eventually, you stop in front of a door in a long corridor, with identical doors lining each wall. 

“You can stay in this room. It should have everything you need. Get some sleep; we’ll go over all of this in the morning, okay?” Steve says kindly, gesturing towards the door.

“Th-thank you,” you manage, your voice coming out rough and quiet. It sounds strange, even to you.

Steve catches it anyways, and continues smiling.

“You’re welcome,” he replies. At this, he turns, walking down the hallway. It’s Bucky’s turn to face you now.

Bucky’s eyes still seem to be clouded with some wort of worry. You _could_ figure out why, if you wanted, by reading his mind, but that seemed impolite. 

“If you need anything, I’m down the hall and to the left, okay?” he tells you, pointing to the direction he means. You nod, and he hesitates, seemingly wanting to say more. 

_Thank you, Bucky._

He nods back, and then turns, walking down the hallway. You watch him until he disappears around a corner, and turn to enter the room where you’ll be staying. 

It’s _huge,_ compared to the cell you were used to. There’s a giant bed in the center of the room, a couch to the side, under a big window, and its own private bathroom complete with a gigantic shower and tub. You’d never seen such luxury before. As much as you’d like to explore everything, you realize how exhausted you are, and your eyes start drooping of their own accord. You crawl into the enormous bed, and it’s so _soft_ and _comfortable._ You’re asleep in seconds.

-

You wake again sometime later in the night. At first, you don’t know where you are, and you sit up quickly in a panic. You glace around, _this isn’t your cell,_ and confusion envelops you. Then, everything starts to come back to you, and you remember where you are. Your panic doesn’t lessen, however. The gravity of the situation suddenly hits you. You were in a strange place with people who you knew almost nothing about. Some of the people who’d held you captive were still out there. They must be looking for you. And if they found you, _what would they do to you?_

With your mind racing and hysteria increasing, you do the only thing you can think to do, and try to infiltrate Bucky’s mind again. You’re not sure if it will work, since you’d never tried from so far away, in a different room, but it does. 

The same familiar images you had seen earlier, when you’d touched his hand, explode in your mind. You can feel his pain all over again. 

_Bucky, are you awake?_ You project, struggling under the weight of his memories.

Everything stops. 

_Wait, what? Is she-_ he thinks, clearly unsure of what’s happening.

_I can hear you,_ you respond.

_Are you reading my mind?_

_...Yes. I can stop, if you want-_

_Is something wrong?_

_I don’t know, I’m… I’m scared._

_Hang on, I’ll come to your room._

You sigh. You’re not really sure what it was that you wanted, or even what to say to him. How to explain. But then again, it seems that maybe Bucky would understand.

Bucky is at your door quicker than you would have thought possible. 

“Are you okay?” he asks, slightly out of breath, swinging open the door.

“Yes,” you manage to mumble, out loud this time. You figured you’d better get used to speaking sooner or later.

Bucky walks towards you as you stay sitting up in the bed. No one turns on the light, so it’s still dark in your room, but you can make out his outline in the shadows. 

“What scared you?” he continues, and tentatively sits at the foot of your bed. 

“What if-” you whisper, but give up, unable to vocalize your thoughts. _What if they come here? What if they find me?_

“ _Oh,_ ” Bucky sighs out, voice tender, “they won’t find you here. They’ll never be able to hurt you again. We’ll… I’ll make sure of it.”

You nod in the darkness, although you’re not sure if he can tell or not.

_Thank you. I don’t want to go back._

_You won’t have to. I promise._

The two of you sit there for a while, both unsure of what more to say. You can feel Bucky’s eyes on you. You decide to try your voice again.

“You weren’t asleep earlier.” It’s not a question.

“No,” he answers. “I don’t really… I mean I can’t-”

“I know… I saw,” you whisper. You think you can make out the slow nod of his head. “Let me help you,” you add quietly.

“What do you mean?” he asks after a pause, both skeptical and curious.

“I can… I won’t change anything, but I can quiet the memories, for a while.” You weren’t quite sure how to explain what it was you could do, but if you got into someone’s mind, you could temporarily manipulate their feelings. You couldn’t change or erase their memories, but you could instill a kind of peace there.

Bucky hesitates. 

_Please, you’ve done so much for me. Let me try to help you in return._

After an extended pause, Bucky must decide to trust you, as he quietly says “okay.”

You get out of the bed and take a few steps so that you’re standing in front of him. You gently place a hand on his shoulder.

_Lie down,_ you project, lightly pushing him with your hand. He hesitates again, but shifts his position of the bed and lies down. You gently press a finger on his temple, feeling his memories course through you. You push and pull mentally, taking the pain and sadness, and locking it all behind a temporary wall. You focus on a sense of calm and tranquility, projecting it into him. You feel the tension leaving his body, you break the connection again, removing your hand from his face. He’s already asleep.

You take a pillow from the bed, and make your way to the couch across the room. You lie down again, and with Bucky in the room, you finally feel safe. You drift off a few moments later.

-

The sunlight streaming in from the large window above the couch wakes you. Your eyes open, and your first instinct is to check the bed for Bucky. However, when you look over, he isn’t there. Your heartrate spikes for a second, until you scan your eyes across the room and realize he’s at the door, back to you, talking to Steve. He’s just wearing a t-shirt, none of the gear from yesterday, so you can confirm that he does, in fact, have a metal arm. You remember feeling the burning in your – _his_ – shoulder. Now you know the cause of that, and your heart clenches. You attempt to make out what they’re saying, listening intently.

“…I’m just saying, we don’t know anything about her, what she’s capable of-” Steve is telling him, before Bucky cuts him off.

“She’s not dangerous. Not to us,” he whispers adamantly.

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea to stay here, alone-“

“She helped me, Steve. She _needs_ someone. I just want to keep her safe,” Bucky sighs.

“Buck, what’s really going on here? Why are you so insistent on this?” Steve asks him, genuine concern obvious in his voice. He waits for an answer, studying Bucky, who looks down before answering. 

“Because… she’s just like me.” Bucky looks back up at Steve, who places a hand on his friend’s shoulder. They share a look, and you can see the comprehension dawn on Steve’s face. 

“We’ll figure this out, Bucky. She’s going to be alright.” You see Bucky nod in response. Steve finally breaks eye contact with him, and his eyes end up settling on you, noticing that you’re awake. He stands up straighter, dropping his hand from Bucky’s shoulder, and clearing his throat. At this, Bucky spins on his heel; the clear, cool blue of his eyes landing on you. He swallows whatever emotions he’d been feeling, and watches you, expression unreadable.

“Good morning. How are you feeling?” Steve asks after a brief pause, plastering the polite smile back onto his face. 

“I’m okay, thanks,” you reply quietly, sitting up. Bucky doesn’t say anything. Steve gestures towards the bed, where you notice a pile of fabric – clothing – has been laid. 

“There are some new clothes over there for you. When you’re ready, Tony has finished decrypting the files we recovered from the lab. There might be some information that can help us there, and we’d like to go over it with you, if that’s alright.” 

You nod your head. 

“Good. I’ll meet you down at the lab whenever you’re ready. Bucky can show you the way.” He turns to leave, and you give him a small smile before he does. Bucky clears his throat. 

“I’ll be outside when you’re ready,” he tells you, before leaving the room and closing the door.

-

“You doing okay?” Bucky inquires as you emerge a few minutes later. You test out a smile again.

“Yes, thank you. How about you?” you ask in response. Bucky smiles at you. You like that.

“I’m good – great, actually,” he shakes his head slightly, amused. “I don’t think I’ve slept that well since… well, ever. Thank you.” His eyes sparkle when he says this. You like that, too.

You smile shyly at him.

“You’re welcome.”

You follow him through more hallways, down stairs, and through various rooms in comfortable silence. Finally, you arrive at what you assume must be their lab. You see Tony, the man who questioned you yesterday, sitting at a very advanced-looking computer of some sort, while Steve stands next to him, leaning over the screen. Bucky tenses slightly, you note, as the two of you approach them. Steve offers the two of you a small wave when he sees you, and you attempt to mimic his cordial smile. Tony glances up from the screen, eyes flitting between you and Bucky before settling on you, and he begins to speak.

“Before we get started, I’d like to apologize,” his eyes slide over to Bucky, then back to you before he continues, “if I was too intense yesterday. We’re all on the same side here. I’m just eager to find these guys and put them away, as I’m sure you are.” 

“It’s okay,” you answer earnestly, “I want to help you.” Tony eyes Bucky warily again, but nods. He must decide that his apology was satisfactory, because Tony clears his throat and starts talking again.

“Good,” he states. “Now, you guys might want to take a look at this.” He gestures to his computer. 

You share a nervous look with Bucky. You exhale, and he follows you to the computer. When you lean over Tony’s chair to get a better look, he lightly lays a hand on your lower back. An attempt at comfort, you guess. And it works; you’d been without human contact for so long, you’d forgotten what it felt like to be comforted, if you’d even known in the first place. You steel yourself before looking at the screen as Tony and Steve begin to explain what they’d found.

-

You sit, back in your room, alone. In your hands are copies of the files Tony had decoded; files that contained any information that the laboratory had on you. A name that you didn’t recognize. A birthday that you’d never celebrated. Any abilities that you had, and all of the things they’d done to you. You focus on keeping your breathing steady.

What Tony hadn’t been able to find, however, was any living relatives. No home for you to return to. You were alone, with no place in the world. You had no idea where you’d go, no idea of who you were supposed to be. You fight back tears as your breathing rate increases and your pulse races. This was all _too much._

You’d returned to your room alone, needing time to process the information you’d been given. Along with your personal information, he’d also found records of other _subjects,_ just like you. Evidently, there were others at the facility with you at some point. You had no idea what had become of them. Tony also hadn’t found an indication of where the other locations were, but he was convinced they existed.

All of this information overwhelms you, and you have no idea how to handle it. Now, you wish that you were _anything_ but alone. As if he could sense you panic, Bucky chooses now to knock on your door.

“Hey, are you doing okay in there-”

_Bucky, come in, please, I need you,_ you plead, the tears in your eyes threatening to spill over.

The door flies open, and Bucky appears panicked for an instant, before he takes in your expression and he tears that finally pool down your face. 

“Oh, _Doll,_ ” he gasps, eyes softening, as he rushes into the room. Before you even know what’s happening, he’s wrapped you in his arms. 

You tense momentarily, shocked by the suddenness of his movement, unfamiliar with this kind of contact. _A hug,_ you think. You don’t remember ever receiving one. And you realize that, at least from Bucky, you _really_ like them. So, you let yourself melt into his arms, clutching whatever you can get ahold of - his arm, his shirt, and bury your face into his chest. You’re full on sobbing now, and Bucky just sits with you, holds you, until you can calm down enough to talk.

“What is it?” Bucky asks you, softly, after a few minutes. You pull your head away just enough to look up at him, and he’s looking at you with such compassion, such tenderness, that it makes your heart clench.

“I… I-” you try out loud, but your breathing is still erratic and your voice fails.

_I don’t know who I am, Bucky,_ you project. _I don’t even recognize my own name. I have nowhere to go. I’m alone-_

Bucky stops you by delicately placing a hand on the side of your face, running his thumb gently across your cheekbone. His eyes shine with sincerity, the blue brighter than you’d ever seen.

“You’re not alone. I know, I know exactly what you’re feeling.” You nod, trying to clear you head. You knew he did; you felt it. “We’ll figure this out. Stay here. Stay with me, and we’ll figure this out together.” 

The two of you stare at each other, the gravity of his words sinking in. 

“Stay... Stay here? With the Avengers?” you whisper, searching his eyes with your own.

“Yes,” he replies, softly, “Please. I don’t want to lose you. I’ve never met someone so… so much like me before.”

“I don’t want to lose you either.”

“Then stay. I will protect you,” he promises earnestly.

Your eyes lock, his blue gaze burning with passion. Bucky slowly, softly leans closer, bringing his lips to meet yours. _A kiss._ It feels like fireworks are exploding behind your eyes, your heart hammering in your ears. You can feel his heart beat, too. They seem to beat in rhythm, as if they belong together. 

Maybe there was somewhere for you after all.

**Author's Note:**

> I actually haven't seen Stranger Things (I know okay I'm sorry) so I relied on the internet and my best friend to help put me on the right track. Reader's powers kind of ended up partially like what I gathered from the show, kind of Rogue from X-Men and kind of Scarlet Witch, lol. I hope it was okay anyways!
> 
> I know this is supposed to be a oneshot but... anyone want a part 2 to this? Maybe?
> 
> Anyways, thanks so much for reading! If anyone has requests feel free to send them to me on my tumblr (winterphantom - same as here)!


End file.
